TDs To Examine If €1bn Asylum Costs Are "Value For Money", With Millions Spent In Kildare

Monday, 12 May 2025 12:44

By Martin Osborne

Several properties in Kildare linked to the Coldec Group have raked in millions of euro.

The Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee Chair has vowed to investigate whether Government spending on asylum seeker accommodation represents “value for money”.

Last year, the Government spent just over €1 billion on housing international protection applicants - up from close to €652 million in 2023.

The Citywest Hotel in Saggart, run by Cape Wrath Hotel Unlimited, received the largest amount of money from the Government last year to accommodate asylum seekers.

It received over €53 million between January and September 2024.

Several properties in Kildare linked to the Coldec Group have also raked in millions of euro over the past couple of years.

The owner of the 18th-century protected Ryevale House, used to house female refugees, has taken in around €3.79m of euro in state payments since May 2023.

The protected building underwent modifications without required planning permission.

Since 2022, The Celbridge Manor Hotel took in €12.6 million.

Committee chair, Sinn Féin TD John Brady, says the Dáil's spending watchdog will ensure the public is getting the most value for money across the country, while continuing to accommodate for around 33 thousand asylum seekers.

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